9 July 2014

ON THIS DAY: Zidane headbutts Materazzi in 2006

On July 9 in World Cup history: Zinedine Zidane loses his cool as Italy beats France to win 2006 final in Berlin.

Zidane,
who led France to the title in 1998, was persuaded to come out of
international retirement to lead his country in the World Cup in
Germany. After a slow start to the tournament, France beat Spain, Brazil
and Portugal to make the final. Zidane gave France the lead with a
nonchalant penalty in the seventh minute. However, defender Marco
Materazzi soon headed Italy level. The score remained tied deep into
extra time when the two goalscorers were at the center of one of the
most shocking episodes in World Cup history. Cameras missed the incident
at first, suddenly showing Materazzi lying on the ground. Replays
showed that Zidane had raced towards the defender and felled him with
his head — his last act as a professional footballer. Down to 10 men,
France held on until the penalty shootout, which Italy won after scoring
all five spot kicks. The Azzurri won their fourth World Cup. (AP)